Clock-controlled electric circuit



June 12, 1928. 1,673,380 w. T. TRENWITH CLOCK CONTROLLED ELECTRIC CIRCUIT Filed Feb. 27, 1926 5110727272 WW2? T/iJLu/Lt/L Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM '1'. TRENWI'IH, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM B. ENGELHARDI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOCK-CONTROLLED ELECTRIC CIRCUIT.

Application filed February 27, 1926. Serial No. 91,040.

This invention relates to clock controlled electric lamps for various purposes. For example, automobiles have parking llghts, and at times it may be convenient to have such lights automatically turned on, thus obviating the necessity of having the driver or other person go to the car merelyfor that particular purpose. There are also other uses for the invention, as it 1s neces sary and desirable, in certain places, to have one or more electric lights turned on at some particular predetermined time.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is, therefore, to provide a novel and 1mproved construction and arrangement whereby a clock may be set to automatically control the circuit of an electric lamp, at any desired time, whereby the mechanism of the clock will then automatically cause the closing of said circuit, at the p redeterm1ned time, thus causin the operation of the lamp at the desired time. Another pbject is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby the automatic circuit closing means may be rendered inoperative, after the clock has been set for any particular time, to prevent the closing of the circuit at the time called for by the setting mechanism, and whereby this may be done without stopping the clock, so that the automatic control may be thrown on and off at. will, so to speak, without in any way interfering with the normal operation and use of the clock.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved construction whereby the clockcontrolled instrumentalities are not only operative to automatically close the circuit of the electric lamp, at any desired time, but also whereby the circuit will remain closed until manually opened, but without interfering with the normal operation of the clock, whereby the clock will continue to run and indicate the correct time during the time that the circuit of the electric lamp is closed, and whereby the circuit may then be manually opened without interfering with the operation of the clock.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of a clock-controlled electric lamp apparatus of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a clock-controlled mechanism for automatically controlling the circuit of an electric lam showing certain portions broken away For convenience of illustration, embodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view looking down on the parts shown in Fig. 1, with certain portions in horizontal section, showing the lamp and the source of current and the manual switch for the circuit. in diagram.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 I in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

As thus illustrated, the clock mechanism proper may be of any suitable known or approved form, and is operative to operate the gear wheel 1 and to operate the usual hands 2 and 3 about the axis of said gear. This gear operates a pinion 4, and this pinion in turn operates a gear 5, the latter being slidably mounted on the spindle 6 extending horizontally through the frame of the clock as shown. This spindle has a handle 7 at the back of the clock, so that the spindle may be manually turned, and the front end of the spindle has a small hand 8 which can be turned to any of the numerals. on the small dial shown in Fi 1 of the drawings,

thereby setting the cloc to operate and aumentioned. A spring 3 is preferably fastened to the frame of the clock at 13, as shown, and extends across the back of the dial of the clock in position to press the gear 5 forward toward the dial Moi the clock. Therefore, as soon as the notch comes opposite the projection 11 the gear wheel 5 will move forward, under the pressure of the spring 12, and the movement of the lat ter will carry its arm 15 forward also. it will. be seen that the arm 15 has a longitudinal slot 16 therein to engage the up standing portion 17 which is rigid with the slide 18 made of some suitable insulation. This slide carries the long contact member 19 for engagement with the shorter contact members 20 which are included, through the binding posts 21 and the insulated wires leading therefrom, in the circuit of the battery or other source of current 22, and which circuit alsoincludes the manual switch 23 and the lamp 24 to be controlled. A lever 25 projects through the dash 26, the clock being set into the dash as shown, and the end of the lever is connected to the projection 17 as shown, whereby when the spring 12 actuates the slide 18 toward the dash of the vehicle, the lever 25 will slide out a distance, and the notch 27 formed in the under side of-said lever will engage the upper edges 28 of certain sheet metal parts, thus locking the clock controlled switch mechanism in closed position, so that the circuit of the lamp will remain closed until manually opened. When the driver comes back to the machine, if it is then desirable, the outer end of the lever 25 is moved upwardly, to disengage the notch 27 from the edges 28, and the lever isthen pushed forward to cause the slide 18 to move in the same direction and to thereby disengage the contact 19 from the contacts 20, therebyopening the circuit. The slide 18 is provided with guides 29 that control the sliding movement, so that the slide will move forward and back in a straight line. The slot 16, it will be seen, permits the spring 12 to move back into the position shown in Fig. 3, which is its normal or waiting position, as soon as it is crowded back into this position by the rotation of the gear 5, which rotation carries the projection 11 out of the notch 9 and on to the front smooth portion of the hub 9, by the cam action of the sloping side of the notch, the parts remaining thus until the notch 10 a ain encounters the portion 11 and when this occurs the automatic closing of the lamp circuit is again accomplished in the manner stated. When the driver of the car pushes the lever 25 back, to open the circuit the projection 17 moves to the end oi the slot 16, as shown, so that the parts are then in operative condition to be again actuated by the automatic release of the spring in the manner explained. Thus this spring nevaaao serves as a cam-controlled movable element having controlling engagement with a movable portion of the automatic switch mecha nism, whereby the release of this element causes the closing of this switch.

Thus, by turning the knob 7 the clock controlled mechanism can be set to operate at any desired or predetermined time, and the electric lamp will be'brought' into action, automatically, at such time. The lamp will then stay in action until the driver or other person comes out and opens the circuit in the manner explained.

Qt course, as previously stated, an automatic clock-controlled lamp circuit controlling mechanism of this kind can be used for other purposes, or wherever it is desirable to turn on an electric lamp at some predetermined time, and the invention is not limited to use in connection with the parking or other lamps of a motor vehicle.

By means of the switch 23, which may be an ordinary push button switch, as indicated, mounted on the dash adjacent the clock, the circuit of the lamp can be opened, at any time, and this will prevent the auto matic operation of the clock controlled switch mechanism from bringing the lamp into action, when the spring 12 is released in the manner described. In this way, the apparatus is rendered inoperative to prevent the turning on of the electric light, without in any way interfering with the normal operation of the clock. Y

The'lever 25 forms a handle that can be used. of course, at any time, to open or close the lamp circuit. Of course, while the notch 10 still contains the projection 11, the automatic switch will not retain itself open, but should occasion require the circuit can be opened by the switch 23 to extinguish the light. If the clock mechanism has not arrived at the predetermined time for the automatic turning on of the electric light, and the driver desires to turn on the light, a pull on the lever or handle 25 will close the switch and bring the notch 27 into engagement with the edge portions 28, thus holding the switch closed until it is again manually opened, and it can be thus opened either before or after the automatic release of the sprin 12, or before or after the predetermined time for the automatic closing of the switch. As shown, the switch mechanism and the automatic clock controlled means for operating the switch can be applied to any one of a number of standard clocks, such as those employed on automobiles.

When once closed automatically, the switch is operative to stay closed until man sally opened. Thus the circuit may stay closed until manually opened by the switch 28, or by the handle 25, or by both. lhe handle 25 serves with certainty as an indicator to show whether the switch is o or closed. The circuit can be opened at the I switch 23, at any time, without disturbing the clock or automatic switch mechanism.

'Without disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. In circuit controlling apparatus, the combination of a support,switch mechanism concealed by said support and having means for controllin the circuit: and clock controlled means a-ving a clock dial on the face of said'support and having means concealed back of thedial for controlling said switch mechanism, having instrumentalities on the time setting device of the clock and axially movable thereon for automatically causing the closing of the switch at any predetermined time, the switch having a sprin actuated handle for the manual control t ere of and when automatically closed being operative to stay closeduntil manuall opened, said handle projecting through a 5 0t in the face of said support, adjacent to said dial," and necessarily having one certain POSltlOl'l, in said slot when the switch is open, the

handle being automatically movable into another position in said slot by the closing of the switch, thus always showing the condition of the concealed switch, said instrumentalities including a cam-controlled movable element having controlling engagement with a movable portion of said switch mechanism, when the switch is manuall opened.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1 said clock controlled means and instrumentalities comprising a spring for actuating the switch mechanism to close the circuit, said setting.

device adapted to be set at any hour or fraction thereof and operative at any predetermined time to release said element and thereby cause the automatic closin of said switch, but inoperative to thereaiter open the switch when this closed.

3. -A structure as specified in claim 1, said switch mechanism havin" a lever forming said handle by which t e switch may be manually opened or closed, said lever having a notch, and means for engaging said notch, to hold the switch in closed positlon,

disengageable therefrom to permit manual opening of the switch.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1 said means and instrumentalities comprising a spring forming said movable element for actuatlng said sw tch mechanism into closed position, sa1d spring having a lost motion switchuto be opened at anytime after the automatic closing thereof. 5; A structure as specified in claim 1, said means and instrumentalities comprising a spring forming said movable element to operate the switch into closed position, and

rotary means operative for releasing said spring to close the switch, but inoperative to thereafter open the switch when thus closed.

6. In circuit controlling apparatus, the combination "or switch mechanism for controlling the circuit, and clock controlled means for operating said switch mechanism, having instrumentahties for causing the the manual control thereof and when automatically closed being operative to stay closed until manually opened, saidhandle necessaril having one certain position when the switc is open, showing'the condition of the switch, said instrumentalities including a cam-controlled movable element having controllin engagement with amovable portion of sai switch mechanism, when the switch is manually opened, said switch mechanism having a lever forming said handle by which the switch may be manually opened or closed, said lever havin a notch and means for engaging said notc to hold the switch in closed position, disengageable therefrom to permit manual opening of the switc Specification signed this 17th day of Feb.,

- WILLIAM T. TRENWITH.

connection with the. switch, permitting the 

